Background and Identification
According to the WHO, an incubators are, “Bassinets enclosed in plastic with climate controlled equipment and hand-access ports with doors that are intended to keep infants warm and limit their exposure to germs.”
The first infant incubator was developed in the mid-nineteenth century. It was based on the incubators used for chicken eggs. Dr. Stephane Tarnier developed it in an attempt to keep premature babies warm. Other methods had been used before but the enclosed incubator or isolette as it is known was more effective.
The main function of the incubator according to Science Direct, is thermal support as well as oxygen control and the relative level of humidity the baby breaths, “Microprocessors incorporated in most modern incubators assist in the accurate control of temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels while enabling such features as graphical data trending of the critical parameters controlled by the incubator.”